Phonology Koine Greek

during period designated koine greek great deal of phonological change occurred. @ start of period pronunciation virtually identical ancient greek phonology, whereas in end had more in common modern greek phonology.

the 3 significant changes loss of vowel length distinction, replacement of pitch accent system stress accent system, , monophthongization of several diphthongs:

the ancient distinction between long , short vowels gradually lost, , second century bc vowels isochronic (all vowels having equal length).
from second century bc, ancient greek pitch accent replaced stress accent.
psilosis: loss of rough breathing, /h/. rough breathing had been lost in ionic greek varieties of anatolia , aeolic greek of lesbos.
ᾱͅ, ῃ, ῳ /aːi eːi oːi/ simplified ᾱ, η, ω /aː eː oː/.
the diphthongs αι, ει, , οι became monophthongs. αι, had been pronounced /ɛː/ boeotians since 4th century bc , written η (e.g. πῆς, χῆρε, μέμφομη), became in koine, too, first long vowel /ɛː/ , then, loss of distinctive vowel length , openness distinction /e/, merging ε. diphthong ει had merged ι in 5th century bc in argos, , 4th century bc in corinth (e.g. ΛΕΓΙΣ), , acquired pronunciation in koine. diphthong οι fronted /y/, merging υ. diphthong υι came pronounced [yj], lost final element , merged υ. diphthong ου had been raised /u/ in 6th century bc, , remains in modern greek.
the diphthongs αυ , ευ came pronounced [av ev] (via [aβ eβ]), partly assimilated [af ef] before voiceless consonants θ, κ, ξ, π, σ, τ, φ, χ, , ψ.
simple vowels preserved ancient pronunciations. η /e/ (classically pronounced /ɛː/) raised , merged ι. in 10th century ad, υ/οι /y/ unrounded merge ι. these changes known iotacism.
the consonants preserved ancient pronunciations great extent, except β, γ, δ, φ, θ, χ , ζ. Β, Γ, Δ, pronounced /b ɡ d/, became fricatives /v/ (via [β]), /ɣ/, /ð/, still today, except when preceded nasal consonant (μ, ν); in case, retain ancient pronunciations (e.g. γαμβρός > γαμπρός [ɣamˈbros], ἄνδρας > άντρας [ˈandras], ἄγγελος > άγγελος [ˈaŋɟelos]). latter 3 (Φ, Θ, Χ), pronounced aspirates (/pʰ tʰ kʰ/ respectively), developed fricatives /f/ (via [ɸ]), /θ/, , /x/. ζ, still metrically categorised double consonant ξ , ψ because may have been pronounced σδ [zd] or δσ [dz], later acquired modern-day value of /z/.

new testament greek phonology

the koine greek in table represents reconstruction of new testament koine greek, deriving degree dialect spoken in judea , galilee during first century , similar dialect spoken in alexandria, egypt. realizations of phonemes differ more standard attic dialect of koine.

note γ has spirantized, palatal allophone before front-vowels , plosive allophone after nasals, while β beginning develop fricative articulation intervocalically. φ, θ , χ still preserve ancient aspirated plosive values, while unasipirated stops π, τ, κ have perhaps begun develop voiced allophones after nasals. initial aspiration has become optional sound many speakers of popular variety. monophthongization (including initial stage in fortition of second element in αυ/ευ diphthongs) , loss of vowel-timing distinctions carried through, there still distinction between 4 front vowels /e/, /e̝/, /i/, , /y/ (which still rounded).